Search results
oeco.org.br
- The name Rio de Janeiro, which translates in English to literally ‘January River’, was the result of a mistake by Portuguese explorer Gaspar de Lemos. Lemos left Portugal in 1501 on an expedition and arrived at a huge bay in Brazil, known nowadays as Guanabara Bay, the following January.
theculturetrip.com › south-america › brazil
People also ask
What is the history of Rio de Janeiro?
Is Rio de Janeiro a city?
Why is Rio de Janeiro named after a river?
When did Rio de Janeiro become the capital of Brazil?
Nov 3, 2016 · The name Rio de Janeiro, which translates in English to literally ‘January River’, was the result of a mistake by Portuguese explorer Gaspar de Lemos. Lemos left Portugal in 1501 on an expedition and arrived at a huge bay in Brazil, known nowadays as Guanabara Bay, the following January.
Founded in 1565 by the Portuguese, the city was initially the seat of the Captaincy of Rio de Janeiro, a domain of the Portuguese Empire. In 1763, it became the capital of the State of Brazil, a state of the Portuguese Empire.
- Overview
- Character of the city
Rio de Janeiro, city and port, capital of the estado (state) of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It is located on the Atlantic Ocean, in the southeastern part of the tropical zone of South America, and is widely recognized as one of the world’s most beautiful and interesting urban centres. Although Rio de Janeiro continues to be the preeminent icon of Brazil in the eyes of many in the world, in reality its location, architecture, inhabitants, and lifestyle make it highly unique when compared with other Brazilian cities, especially the country’s capital of Brasília or the much larger city of São Paulo. The former is a much smaller city dating back only to the 1960s, while the latter is a huge, sprawling commercial and manufacturing centre with none of Rio’s spectacular natural beauty or captivating charm. Unlike Rio, both are located on flat interior plateaus.
The name was given to the city’s original site by Portuguese navigators who arrived on January 1, 1502, and mistook the entrance of the bay for the mouth of a river (rio is the Portuguese word for “river” and janeiro the word for “January”). When the foundations of the future town were laid in 1565, it was named Cidade de São Sebastião do Rio de Janeiro (“City of St. Sebastian of Rio de Janeiro”) for both São Sebastião and Dom Sebastião, king of Portugal.
Rio de Janeiro is well known for the beauty of its beaches and of its peaks, ridges, and hills—all partly covered by tropical forests. The city is a centre of leisure for Brazilian and foreign tourists, and people wearing bathing suits can be seen walking in the streets and along the beaches or traveling on the city’s buses. Perhaps at no time is the city’s festive reputation better displayed than during the annual pre-Lenten Carnival, which enlivens the city night and day with music, singing, parties, balls, and street parades of brilliantly costumed dancers performing to samba rhythms. Rio is also an important economic centre, however, with activities ranging from industry and national and international trade to administration, banking, education, culture, and research.
Britannica Quiz
World Cities
The city’s economic and social prominence grew in the 18th century after it became the main trade centre for the gold- and diamond-mining areas of nearby Minas Gerais. Later its status as a national capital and as the royal residence of the Portuguese monarch influenced Rio’s continued growth and helped it acquire a cosmopolitan atmosphere and a national character, free of regional conflict. After the city was relegated to being a state capital in the mid-20th century, however, a new regional consciousness began to develop. While São Paulo became entrenched as Brazil’s economic heartland and Brasília strengthened its position as the political hub, residents of Rio increasingly prided themselves on being the country’s cultural centre and Brazil’s most salient symbol to the rest of the world.
History of Rio de Janeiro. Attack of French Villegagnon island by the Portuguese on 15 March 1560. Several years after the Portuguese first explored Brazil, French traders in search of pau-brasil (a type of brazilwood) reached the rich area extending from the Cape Frio coast to the beaches and islands of Guanabara Bay, the economic and, above ...
The history of Rio de Janeiro can be traced back to January 1502, when a Portuguese sailor named Gaspar de Lemos sailed past the Sugarloaf mountain and into the waters of the Guanabara Bay. When this happened, we can now call it Rio de Janeiro.
The initial governance of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, was undertaken by Portuguese rulers who arrived at Guanabara Bay on January 1, 1502. Guanabara Bay, resembling the mouth of a river, inspired the city's name, 'Rio de Janeiro,' translating to 'River of January.'.
By 1648, the city consisted of just three roads, the main one of which is now Rua da Misericordia. The turning point in the development of Rio was to come in the 1690s when gold was discovered in the neighbouring state of Minas Gerais (General Mines).
